For the first time ever, the EU and neighbouring countries in the Mediterranean have agreed plans to help improve environmental and economic sustainability in the region.
At the 45th annual meeting of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) five multiannual management plans based on the Common Fisheries Policy were agreed, encompassing a total of 21 ambitious measures for the control of fisheries, aquaculture and the protection of sensitive habitats.
With an EU grant of €8 million per year, the plans will cover the key sub-regions of the Alboran Sea in the western Mediterranean, the Strait of Sicily, the Ionian and the Levant Sea.
It is hoped the plans will help to curb overfishing, ensure profitability and create a level playing field for Mediterranean fleets. Stronger measures against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing are in place with the permanent adoption of international inspection schemex in the Strait of Sicily and in the Ionian Sea as well as a general ban on transhipment at sea.
Based on an EU proposal, the GFCM is launching an assessment of the potential impact of changing the limits of the existing fishing restrictions in depths of below 1000 metres with a view to possibly introducing restrictions also in shallower waters.
There were also agreements to establish an observatory on non-indigenous species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea and to strengthen transitional management measures for the European eel and red coral.
Finally, the GCFM took a decision for the management of recreational fisheries, a first for such a decision at a regional level.
